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Christ, when he was commanding and legislating concerning these things, made this distinction, nor did he say: If the one swearing is a monk, the oath is from the evil one; but if he is not a monk, it is no longer so; but simply and once for all he said to everyone: But I say to you, do not swear at all. And again, when he said, Woe to you who laugh, he did not add 'monks,' but simply legislated thus for all; and in all the other great and wonderful commandments he did likewise. For when he says: Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, those who hear both spoken and unspoken 47.373 evils from outsiders for his sake; he gives the name neither of a worldly person nor of a monk, but this distinction has been introduced from the mind of men. But the Scriptures know nothing of these things, but wish all to live the life of monks, even if they happen to have wives. Listen, then, to what Paul says; and when I say Paul, I mean Christ again. He, therefore, writing to men who have wives and raise children, demands from them all the strictness that belongs to monks. For cutting off all luxury, both in clothing and in food, he writes these words: Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; and again. But she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives; and again, And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. What more than these could one demand from monks? And teaching others to control the tongue, he again lays down strict laws, such as are a task for even monks to accomplish. For he takes away not only filthiness and foolish talking, but also jesting; not only wrath and anger and bitterness, but he also cuts off clamor from the mouth of the faithful. For, he says, let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. Do these things seem small to you? Then wait, and you will hear things much greater than these, which are commanded to all concerning forbearance. Let not the sun, he says, go down upon your wrath. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. And again: Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Have you seen the injunction of philosophy and long-suffering ascending to the very summit? Hear also what things are commanded concerning love, the chief of good things; for having exalted it and spoken of its achievements, he showed that he demands from worldly people the same love that Christ demanded from his disciples. For just as the Savior said this was the ultimate limit of love, to lay down one's life for one's friends, so also Paul hinted at this very thing, saying: Love seeks not its own; and he commands us to pursue such love. So that if only this had been said, it would have been sufficient proof that the same things are required of worldly people as of monks. For this is the bond and the root of great virtue; and now he also sets it forth in detail. What greater philosophy than this, then, could one seek? For when he commands us to be superior to anger and wrath and clamor, and the desire for money, and the belly, and luxury, and vainglory, and the other things of this life, and to have nothing in common with the earth, when he commands us to mortify our members, it is clear that he demands from us the same strictness as Christ did from his disciples, and wishes us to be as dead to sins as those who have already died and been buried. For this reason he says: For he that is dead is freed from sin. And there are places where through his exhortation he leads us to the zeal of Christ, not only to that of the disciples. For when he exhorts to love, he brings examples from there, and when not to bear grudges, and when to be moderate. When therefore not only monks, nor the disciples, but also 47.374

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Χριστὸς, ὅτε περὶ τούτων διετάσσετο καὶ ἐνομοθέτει, τοῦτον ἐποιήσατο τὸν διορισμὸν, οὐδὲ εἶπεν· Ἐὰν μὲν μοναχὸς ὁ ὀμνύων ᾖ, ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ὁ ὅρκος· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ μοναχὸς, οὐκέτι· ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς καὶ καθάπαξ ἅπασιν ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως. Καὶ πάλιν εἰπὼν, Οὐαὶ τοῖς γελῶσιν, οὐ προσέθηκε τοὺς μοναχοὺς, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ἐνομοθέτησεν ἅπασιν οὕτω· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις δὲ ἅπασιν οὕτως ἐποίησε τοῖς μεγάλοις καὶ θαυμαστοῖς παραγγέλμασι. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε λέγει· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, οἱ πενθοῦντες, οἱ πραεῖς, οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, οἱ ἐλεήμονες, οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ, οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, οἱ καὶ ῥητὰ καὶ ἄῤῥητα δι' αὐτὸν παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀκούοντες 47.373 κακά· οὔτε βιωτικοῦ, οὔτε μονάζοντος ὄνομα τίθησιν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων διανοίας οὗτος εἰσενήνεκται ὁ διορισμός. Αἱ δὲ Γραφαὶ οὐδὲν ἴσασι τούτων, ἀλλ' ἅπαντας τὸν τῶν μοναχῶν βούλονται βίον ζῇν, κἂν γυναῖκας ἔχοντες τύχωσιν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τί φησιν· ὅταν δὲ Παῦλον εἴπω, τὸν Χριστὸν λέγω πάλιν. Οὗτος τοίνυν ἐπιστέλλων ἀνθρώποις γυναῖκας ἔχουσι καὶ παιδία τρέφουσι, πᾶσαν τὴν τοῖς μοναχοῖς προσήκουσαν ἀκρίβειαν αὐτοὺς ἀπαιτεῖ. Τὴν γὰρ τρυφὴν ἐκκόπτων ἅπασαν, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἱματίοις, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἐδέσμασι, ταῦτα ἐπιστέλλει τὰ ῥήματα· Γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης κοσμεῖν ἑαυτὰς, μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν, ἢ χρυσῷ, ἢ μαργαρίταις, ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ· καὶ πάλιν. Ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα ζῶσα τέθνηκε· καὶ πάλιν, Ἔχοντες δὲ διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα. Τί τούτων παρὰ τῶν μοναζόντων πλέον ἀπαιτήσειεν ἄν τις; Γλώττης δὲ παιδεύων κρατεῖν ἑτέρους, ἀκριβεῖς πάλιν τίθησι νόμους, καὶ τοιούτους οἵους καὶ τοῖς μοναχοῖς ἀνύσαι ἔργον ἐστίν. Οὐ γὰρ αἰσχρότητα καὶ μωρολογίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐτραπελίαν ἀναιρεῖ· οὐ θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ πικρίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κραυγὴν ἐκκόπτει τοῦ τῶν πιστῶν στόματος. Πᾶς γὰρ, φησὶ, θυμὸς καὶ ὀργὴ καὶ κραυγὴ καὶ βλασφημία ἀρθήτω ἀφ' ὑμῶν σὺν πάσῃ κακίᾳ. Ἆρά σοι μικρὰ ταῦτα εἶναι δοκεῖ; Οὐκοῦν ἀνάμεινον, καὶ τὰ πολλῷ μείζονα τούτων ἀκούσῃ, ἃ περὶ ἀνεξικακίας διατάττεται πᾶσιν. Ὁ ἥλιος, φησὶ, μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Ὁρᾶτε μή τις κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ τινι ἀποδώσει· ἀλλὰ πάντοτε τὸ ἀγαθὸν διώκετε καὶ εἰς ἀλλήλους καὶ εἰς πάντας. Καὶ πάλιν· Μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν. Εἶδες πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν κορυφὴν ἀναβαίνουσαν τὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ μακροθυμίας ἐπίτασιν; Ἄκουσον καὶ ὅσα περὶ ἀγάπης διατάττεται τοῦ κεφαλαίου τῶν ἀγαθῶν· ἐπάρας γὰρ αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα αὐτῆς εἰπὼν, ἐδήλωσεν ὅτι ταύτην ἀπαιτεῖ παρὰ τῶν βιωτικῶν ἣν παρὰ τῶν μαθητῶν ὁ Χριστός. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦτον ἔσχατον ὅρον ἔφησεν ἀγάπης εἶναι, τὸ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θεῖναι ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ᾐνίξατο εἰπών· Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς· καὶ τὴν τοιαύτην κελεύει διώκειν. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ τοῦτο μόνον εἴρητο, ἱκανὸν τεκμήριον ἦν τοῦ τὰ αὐτὰ ἀπαιτεῖσθαι τοὺς βιωτικοὺς τοῖς μοναχοῖς. Ὁ γὰρ σύνδεσμος καὶ ἡ ῥίζα τῆς πολλῆς ἀρετῆς αὕτη ἐστί· νυνὶ δὲ καὶ κατὰ μέρος αὐτὴν τίθησι. Τί τοίνυν μεῖζον ταύτης τῆς φιλοσοφίας ζητήσειεν ἄν τις; Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ ὀργῆς καὶ θυμοῦ καὶ κραυγῆς, καὶ χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ γαστρὸς, καὶ πολυτελείας, καὶ δόξης κενῆς, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν βιωτικῶν ἀνωτέρους εἶναι κελεύῃ, καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ὅταν νεκρῶσαι τὰ μέλη προστάττῃ, εὔδηλον ὅτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμᾶς ἀκρίβειαν ἀπαιτεῖ, ὅσην τοὺς μαθητὰς ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα οὕτως εἶναι βούλεται νεκροὺς, ὡς τοὺς ἀποθανόντας καὶ ταφέντας ἤδη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γάρ φησιν· Ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Ἔστι δὲ ὅπου καὶ εἰς τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ζῆλον διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως. ἡμᾶς ἄγει, οὐχὶ πρὸς τὸν τῶν μαθητῶν μόνον. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν ἀγαπᾷν παραινῇ, ἐκεῖθεν φέρει τὰ ὑποδείγματα, καὶ ὅταν μὴ μνησικακεῖν, καὶ ὅταν μετριάζειν. Ὅταν οὖν μὴ μοναχοὺς μόνον, μηδὲ τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ 47.374